OLD BIG 'HEAD IN THE SPIRIT OF THE MAN: Lowe, Nottingham Playhouse till 25 Ju

Nottingham

OLD BIG EAD IN THE SPIRIT OF THE MAN
by Stephen Lowe

Nottingham Playhouse To 25 June 2005
Tue-Sat 7.45pm Mat (Cream tea) 1.30pm 16 June
Audio-described 21, 22 June
BSL Signed 17 June
Post-show discussion 14 June
Runs 2hr 10min One interval

TICKETS 0115 941 9419
www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk
Review: Alan Geary: 8 June 2005

In this unexpectedly touching and complex comedy Brian Clough, the legendary man in green, meets that other legendary man in green.Brian Clough, complete with whistle and one-liners, is inadvertently beamed down from heaven to inspire a struggling young dramatist, who goes to work on a play about Robin Hood.

Since this is a play about a play, there's a lot of meta-theatre on the loose one scene is set outside Nottingham Playhouse itself. With occasionally bewildering complexity, strands of imagery are intertwined; we even get a reminder of Singer Sargent's First World War picture of the line of blinded soldiers leading each other.

At the outset, the plot-line seems unnecessarily cluttered. And an epilogue with D H Lawrence, Lord Byron, in hookah and Albanian headdress, and General Booth of the Sally Army, holding a tambourine, could easily have been pencilled out.

As the man himself, Colin Tarrant is of course the centre of attention. Wisely avoiding a straight impression, he uses voice, gait and physical posture to capture the spirit of Cloughie pun intended also bringing in a sad, boyish vulnerability. In an evening of contrasts Tarrant is also excellent as gay actor, Gerald.

We have to care about the other characters, particularly Jimmy, played by Jamie Kenna. Admittedly, when he first appears, even allowing for deliberate comic caricature, Kenna over-acts the angst-ridden playwright; but he is at his best and funniest when Jimmy is handling the personal problems and rivalries of his ramshackle troupe of actors.

Music and brilliant set designs are indispensable elements in the package, most memorably when, immediately after the interval, in strong contrast to what has gone before, we have a scene of real poignancy. In a candle-lit chapel, and surrounded by monks, Laura Martin-Simpson, as Maid Marian, sings an elegy to her dead lover.

As a finale Cloughie gives a karaoke type rendering of My Way', but he would, wouldn't he.

This is a tribute to Brian Clough; but it also does homage to Robin Hood. And, particularly at the end, it makes Nottinghamians proud to be Nottinghamians - sorry, but Derby doesn't get much of a look-in.

That said, it's a play of integrity and general significance which ought to be seen further afield.

Jimmy: Ken Bradshaw
Brian/Gerald/Robin Hood: Colin Tarrant
William Booth/Adrian/Friar Tuck: James Warrior
Lord Byron/Damien/Alan a' Dale: Ben Goddard
Mick/Little John/King Richard: Dave Nicholls
D H Lawrence/Eddy/Will Scarlet/Guy of Gisbourne: Jamie Kenna
Perfect Little Angel/Maid Marian/Sarah/Barbara: Laura Martin-Simpson

Director: Alan Dossor
Designer: Jamie Vartan
Lighting: Mark Pritchard
Sound: Adam McCready
Musical Director: Ben Goddard

2005-06-12 12:39:26